A Silent Minority: Pro-Gun-Rights Feminists

So, eight months ago, I posted this blog. In it, I make my case as to why gun rights are a feminist issue. Monday, in a post on Shakesville, I lost my temper, got more than a little snarky, and got into an argument there. If you’re not interested in following the link, or reading all the comments, here’s the deal: Tennessee is expanding to bars and restaurants the right for CCW holders to carry. Most there begin stereotyping gun owners as the irresponsible, blood-thirsty, getting-a-hard-on-to-shoot someone, tea party, “second amendment solutions to political disagreement” caricature.

I’d heard all of this before. Nothing new. It happens every time gun rights come up in a feminist sphere. What set me off was one poster painting college students as infantile, unable to comprehend that shooting into a crowd of innocent people is a bad idea.

Insult me, sure. I get annoyed. Allies insulting me? That hurts me. Falling into the trap of painting all college students as just like those frat-boy movies? No. That’s ridiculous. I do apologize for losing my temper. It would have been more prudent to take a smoke break before replying. But. I’m only sorry for how I phrased the things I said. I’m not sorry for what I said. I’m not sorry for feeling the way I felt: angry.

What is it that makes mainstream feminists completely unable to contemplate and discuss gun rights?

Feminist can talk about trafficking, rape, child molestation—the darkest aspects of humanity and our culture—even those of us with personal experiences—we can talk about those things. Though we’ll put trigger warnings on graphic descriptions, we’ll watch our language, out of respect for those who have experienced those traumas. We do not allow stereotyping, victim-blaming, strawmen…but somehow the feminist community-at-large cannot discuss gun rights.

Guns are not humans with agency. Guns cannot do anything to anyone without a human being behind them. Guns are very dangerous tools. In self-defense, what is being discussed here, should only be used as a last and most desperate resort. More often, in self-defense, they are a deterrent. You never pull out a gun unless you’re willing to use it. Never.

Violence against women, against gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transsexuals are endemic. The world gives us platitudes. The world tells us it’s our fault—for being sexy, for being different, for being in certain places—for being who we are. The police make light of our attacks. They blame us. They refuse to get us justice. Sometimes, they attack us as well. But in light of all of this—we’re still expected to trust them. By the world, and by the feminist community.

Why? Victim advocacy groups, they say, will help us. Despite their overwhelming workloads, their little funding, despite these groups not being available in every community (red state, anyone? poverty-stricken areas anyone?). These groups are the feminist solution to dealing with a misogynist, homophobic, transphobic institution that is the only means to get justice for the wrongs done to us. And nothing, nothing, to prevent any of those wrongs, right here, right now. Sure, we can work to change our culture. It’s something I work for every day, but the kind of change we need to make the world safe for everyone, is going to take years, and it does nothing for people that live in this world, right here, right now.

I, along with a silent minority in the feminist and/or liberal movement, have no interest in making our way through a hostile world with nothing but the “don’t walk alone” and “carry mace or hairspray” solutions that the world, and the feminist community gives to us. We’re sick of “prevention tips” that call for us to change our living situations, behavior, movements, and appearance. I’m angry, very angry, that I, along with all of my brothers and sisters are forced to take extreme measures just to stay alive, to stay safe, and to stay sane. We’re liberals and feminists that are pro-gun rights. We believe in self-defense. We believe that it is our right as human beings to live, freely and safely, as we choose. We believe that we have the right to defend ourselves from people who would harm us.

We’re a silent minority. But let’s stop the “silent” part.

Oh yeah: and one more thing: laws only affect those who would follow them in the first place. If you’re afraid of ye olde stereotypical gun owner described above, he’s not going to give much of a shit about where he’s legally allowed to carry. The law only affects those who obey it, respect it, as well as all human life. If you ask me, those are the ones you want carrying in the first place.

About Brittany-AnnBrittany-Ann is a proud, self-identified feminist with fictional tendencies. She currently writes for LouisvilleKY.com and moderates at My Fault I'm Female.
She smokes camels, reads Dumas, and navigates a conservative state as "one of them darn liberals."

8 Responses to A Silent Minority: Pro-Gun-Rights Feminists

I personally think that if we legalize getting shit faced while carrying we should legalize getting shit faced while driving, but it is bullshit what happened in that thread. Especially coming from allies. I know damn well that my whiteness and maleness protects me like an invisible shield, so I never have to worry about concealed carry.

I follow you on twitter and found this post… and I completely agree. I might debate when and where carrying a gun is appropriate, (as the above poster does) who can obtain a gun, how easily, etc. I’m also not sure if I would ever own a gun and I don’t know how to use one and I would fear it being taken and used against me. But I am a feminist and a liberal and I think that we should have the right to defend ourselves in the strongest ways possible. As my father likes to say, “All men (sic) were created equal, Smith and Wesson made it so.”

I also fear a Handmaid’s Tale type scenario where women are made into slaves. Not realistically, it’s not like I actively worry about it, but even so. I think what makes liberals and women so afraid of guns is that tea partiers and men are the ones that generally have them. Can you imagine if the tables were turned?

Oh and that is some BS about the thread. I haven’t read it yet, but I can completely believe that what you said happened happened. Feminists are people. Often flawed, self-righteous people with a great deal of hubris. As you said in a recent post, “I’m a #feminist. I’m allowed to be #angry at whomever espouses #antifeminist crap. Including other #feminists.” They probably feel the same way about their argument against you.

Also, might I add, there is a GREAT deal of ageism within the movement. I’ll never forget passionately talking to one of my mom’s friends about a women’s right to chose, and her turning around and basically implying that SHE was alive when abortion was illegal, and therefore I should be listening to and praising whatever she had to say about this and all feminist matters, not the other way around. (I’m 23 college grad now, was 22 & a college undergrad at the time.) She was and always has been a jerk, but I experienced a similar condescending atmosphere when I went to down to DC with NJPP to rally against the Stupak amendment. One woman in my group even announced that they were “passing the torch to us” and we needed to “do something about this,” when the trip had been almost entirely organized by 20-30 somethings from what I could see. I desperately wanted to be like, well if you guys hadn’t fallen asleep at the civil rights wheel after Roe was passed, maybe looked out for those women who weren’t white and middle class, maybe fought against the Hyde Ammendment and worked for greater access and acceptance of abortion, maybe we wouldn’t have to pick up the slack. But I didn’t.

… Ok. End rant. Moral of the story, every woman needs to do what they need to to protect themselves and feel safe, and college-age women are progressive, compassionate, smart, forward thinking, and need to be listened to. The end.

I hope that you are able to convince more women of the virtue of the firearm for self defense. Anyone who would prey on a fellow human being is scum and everyone has the right of self defense.

I’m pretty much a typical traditional American conservative and I think it’s great when anyone realizes that the right to keep and bear arms is a benefit to everyone, regardless of demographic. To me, the second amendment is not a right vs. left issue. All human beings have the right to defend themselves and others.

Maybe I fit somebody’s stereotype of a conservative, a tea partier, or a gun owner. Maybe I don’t. I may disagree with your politics on many (or most) issues, but I’m glad we agree here. Anyone who is a target of crime must be able to defend themselves to the degree which is reasonable and with which they are comfortable.

About the BookishBeemer:

Brittany-Ann is a freelance writer from Louisville, Kentucky. She writes about politics, current events, culture, and feminism.
When she's not writing or keeping up on current events, she's reading historical fiction, fantasy, and literature, hence the "bookish" part of her handle.
Beemer is a nickname given her by loved ones.
If you'd like Brittany-Ann to write for your publication, e-mail her at brittanyannwick AT yahoo DOT com.